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CARROT CAKE WITH FRESH
ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
(Serves Lots)

This is one pretty cake.  And great tasting too!  Fresh orange juice and zest in the creamy frosting are the perfect partners for a spicy carrot cake.  There’s even a little orange juice in the cake batter.  A great dessert for Easter.  You know, bunnies and carrots. 

Vegetable shortening and flour for dusting cake pans
1 package plain yellow cake mix (no pudding in the mix)
1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix
2/3 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups grated carrots (5 medium carrots)
½ cup raisins (3 ounces)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (2 ounces)
Fresh orange cream cheese frosting

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Generously grease two 9-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening.  Dust with flour and then shake out excess flour.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, oil, eggs, and cinnamon in a large bowl and blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.  Stop mixer, scrape down sides, and increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more.
3. Gently fold in carrots, raisins, and nuts with a rubber spatula.  Divide the batter between the two pans, smoothing out with a spatula.
4. Bake the cakes until they are golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger – about 30-35 minutes.
5. Remove pans from oven and place on racks for 10 minutes to cool.  Run a dinner knife around the edges of each layer and invert each onto a rack and then invert again so cakes are right side up.   Allow them to cool completely – about 30 minutes more.
6. Frost cakes with fresh orange cream cheese frosting on reverse side when completely cooled.